THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST ANDREW

Donhead St Andrew

 

2023 COMMUNITY PROGRAMME

 

JAZZ SUPPER

 

Saturday 11th March 2023

 

Since St Andrew’s Church re-opened in late 2019 after two years of restoration, conservation and new building work, a wide-ranging programme of events and activities has taken place.

 

On 7th March St Andrew’s Church held the first event in its 2023 Community Programme.  This was a Jazz Supper with the welcome return of Art Themen.  Art and fellow jazz musicians twice supported the St Andrew’s Church Development Appeal between 2012 and 2017. 

 

In addition to a career as an eminent orthopaedic surgeon, Art is one of the UK’s finest and best known jazz saxophonists.  He read medicine at Cambridge and played there in the University Jazz Group.  From Cambridge he went to St Mary’s Paddington to complete his studies whist continuing to play the saxophone.

 

In 1974 Art started to play with the legendary Stan Tracey, touring the world with him.  Art has retired as an orthopaedic surgeon, but fortunately not retired as a saxophonist.

 

A couple of years ago, the Musicians Livery Company gave Art a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to jazz.  The award was greeted with huge approval in the UK by jazz players and enthusiasts alike.

 

On 7th March, Art was joined by three other outstanding jazz musicians - the David Newton Trio: Dave playing the church’s clavinova, Henrik Jenson on double bass and Mark Whitlam on drums.

 

David Newton is probably the most widely known jazz pianist in the UK; he graduated from the Leeds College of Music where he is now a Fellow and has won the prestigious Best Jazz Pianist Award in the UK no fewer than 16 times. Mark Whitlam teaches drums at the BIMM Institute in Bristol and has worked with some of the finest jazz musicians in the UK.  Henrik Jenson hails from Denmark and has performed worldwide.

 

A capacity audience of ninety-six - every ticket sold - was lucky indeed to hear such amazing musicians.  Their two forty-five minute sets flew by all too quickly!

During the interval a delicious two-course supper was served.

 

It is the custom at St Andrew’s Church to select a charity to support at each of the events we put on.  At the Jazz Supper, the surplus was split two ways. 

 

First, to the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, which does amazing work taking music into communities where there is none for young people, encouraging young people to learn to play an instrument and, very importantly, to learn to be part of a team.

 

Secondly, to support the mission of St Andrew’s Church as it seeks to work to support the whole community here in Donhead St Andrew.

 

NYJO was delighted to receive £500.

 

HISTORY OF ST ANDREW’S CHURCH

 

A new History of St Andrew’s Church has recently been published and is available to purchase in the church at £3 a copy.

 

The church is open daily from 10.00 am until 4.00 pm.

 

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON AT ST ANDREW’S CHURCH?

 

Visit our website: www.sacda.uk